Sunset Garden is a fun book that exceeds my expectations. I can tell that the author is having fun writing it. (And I cheat too, because I read his Afterword).
If you think that a retirement home is boring, this is not the case. Just ask the poor Ernest, who is thrown into an absurd situation straightaway by the mischievous Dorothy (I imagine Betty White as the character, and nothing can change my mind). Both of them turn into investigators to find out what is actually going on and get to experience the thrill, excitement, and danger.
If I have to nitpick, of course, there
are some situations that are questionable, like the lack of other workers in
such a big place, because someone like Dorothy would go to them in the first
place. It’s also bizarre that, with a large area and plenty of green space,
Alistair and Fester don’t do the much-needed gardening and instead choose the
much more tedious and expensive method.
Putting that aside, I recommend this
book. Besides the humor and lightheartedness, it touches on a delicate social
situation that becomes more realistic as people age. Loneliness, manipulation,
health problems, and life struggles. Not to mention the actual case of fraud
and mistreatment at senior homes and childcares.
I like the characters, the flows, the
pace, and bits of side stories that all end up relevant to the plot. The book
is easy to read and entertaining.
5 out of 5 stars
